To Risk, or not to Risk?
by LaCerise
Summary: Marisa was cold, aloof, detached and lived for her blade, by the blade, with the blade. Yet, one swordmaster wants to teach her that not everything is about fighting, and that the world has so much more to offer for someone special like her.
1. Chapter 1

**The Gamble**

* * *

I could feel the intensity of his gaze on my back, scorching my skin. Biting my lip, I continued sparring with Gerik, ducking and dodging while delivering blows of my own.

"Okay, okay," Gerik fell to the ground, sword on the floor, hands in the air. "I surrender, I surrender. Geez, must you always fight so hard?"

"Sorry chief," I offered a hand. He gratefully accepted.

"Nice one, Marisa!" I did not even have to turn my head to know that it was Joshua, King of Jehanne, walking towards us. "You seem to have improved greatly since the last time I sparred with you."

"She has been _promoted_ to an assassin," Gerik rolled his eyes. "Isn't it obvious that her skills are much more honed now?"

"Hmm…well then…" Joshua rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "How about a rematch, Marisa? I'm a swordmaster; you're an assassin. It's time we reassess our abilities."

"No wagers?" I raised an eyebrow. So far, sparring with the King of Gambling always involved either money '500 gold' or companionship 'next battle, you'll have to be my battle partner'.

"Of course there're stakes," Joshua smirked. "If you win…I'll go and declare my undying love to Innes tomorrow at breakfast."

I raised a tentative eyebrow. Gerik, who was making his way out, heard too and roared with laughter at the mental image.

"Good luck, Marisa!" Gerik cheered.

"And if you win?" I narrowed my eyes. If he intended to make me declare my everlasting appreciation for Tethys tomorrow or something along those lines, I will _kill_ him.

He did not answer my question, merely lifted his sword and aimed for my throat.

I leapt out of the way just in time, before delivering a blow of my own.

The sparring dragged on, both of us dodging and slashing, yet neither gaining any advantage of the other.

He had a good offensive attack, and his swings were clean and accurate. I, on the other hand, lacked the strength he possessed but made for with speed, which allowed me to dodge all of the blows that he dealt. I expected it to end in a tie, which would spare both of us from embarrassment tomorrow.

One minor slip, and I found myself back slammed against the wall, his legs pining me firmly to the wall, his left hand holding my right wrist in an iron grip, his right hand clutching his blade against my throat.

I looked defiantly into his eyes, panting. He was panting as well, harder than I was. "Well, what do you want as your forfeit?"

He did not appear to have heard my question. Instead, he leaned closer, till our noses were literally inches apart.

Only then was I aware of how close we were. I could hear the beating of his heart. I could see the rise and fall of his chest with every deep breath that he took. I could…smell his distinctly masculine scent that sent a faint blush creeping up my cheeks.

His eyes bored into mine. His smirk widened. "I want _you_."

My eyes widened his words sank in. The sword that had originally been tightly grasped in my right hand clattered to the ground.

What did he just say? He wanted _me_ as his forfeit? What did he mean? What did he want? Why did he want _me_? Wasn't this going to be one of those I-shall-embarrass-you-till-you-wish-you-were-born-a-rock kind of gamble?

For a long time, neither of us moved.

What does…he want from me?

"Do you know why Gerik always loses to you when you spar?" His voice jolted me out of my reverie. He wore his usual smirk. "His abilities may not be second to yours; it's just that every time you move forward to deliver a strike, your skirt hitches up."

I flushed instantly at his words, my hands moving instinctively to make a vain attempt at making my skirt cover more of my legs.

He did not fail to take notice of my clumsy actions. Smirking, he leaned in once more.

I closed my eyes for what I expected to come.

Nothing came.

I reopened my eyes in surprise. He was, as usual smirking, one eyebrow raised this time.

"I was going to help you brush away that stray strand that was in your face, Marisa," he grinned. "What were you expecting, huh?"

Cheeks flaming, I growled at him as I picked up my shamshir and headed for the door. Stupid Joshua! Who cares about the fact that he wass my battle partner? How dare he toy with my feelings? Why did he care that Gerik had been busy observing my thighs anyway?

I was swearing to wear trousers from the next day onwards when I heard Joshua burst out into hysterical laughter behind me.

Darn! Did I just say all of that out loud?

Joshua laughed even harder.

Throwing a deadly glare at him, I turned swiftly on my heels, nearly falling over in the process, and walked out of the room.

Joshua's laughter resounded through the entire hallway.

That swordmaster would pay heavily for what he had done today.

* * *

Hello everybody! This is my 2nd MarisaxJoshua fic. I think they'll make such a good couple, both on the battlefield and as royalty. As in, in combat, they really boost each other's stats a lot and they're pretty compatible in terms of enemy targets.

No offense to anyone, but I can't stand JoshuaxNatasha. No offense to anyone again but the main reason is I can't stand Natasha. Like, who in real life has that entire I-shall-safe-the-world-even-though-I-know-die-faster-than-you-can-say-die attitude

Okay, I hope you like this chapter and the rest of the chapters. Please review, thanks! :3


	2. Chapter 2

**Trump Suit: Two Hearts**

Sweat was trickling down the side of my face, dripping from my chin. My breaths came out as short heavy puffs. My eyes stared intensely at the hand holding the steel blade.

With a cry, Gerik charged with his sword raised above his head. Lunging, I sidestepped before warding his blade with a blow of mine, which led to a parrying session.

Right, left, left, right, right…left? A flaw in his offensive allowed me to recover from the position of defense and launch a counter-offensive. My blade skimmed the underside of his jaw, stopping one inch of his jugular vein.

Gerik groaned as he collapsed onto the grass. "Honestly, must you bring me this close to death's door everything we practice sparring session? If I had not known you, I would have thought that you were working for the enemy to try and assassinate me." He snorted as he massaged his neck. "Someday, you'll really kill me by accident…"

"Sorry chief," I muttered, extending my hand to him up.

His eyes were not on my hand. I flushed. His gaze skimmed over my legs, to my skirt and up.

I blushed harder. I had never been interested in men, other than as training partners or rivals. What chief was doing was unfamiliar to me, and caused my to feel uneasy and disturbed. Yet, at the same time, I could feel the skin tingling under his gaze, my heartbeat accelerating in my chest…

"Isn't this such a déja vu situation?" A calm collected voice rang out from behind me.

I broke from my reverie and gasped, turning around.

"Joshua!" Gerik punched his arm playfully. "You could have given us some warning that you were there. You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Joshua rolled his eyes. Turning to me, he smirked pointedly. "If you too hadn't been too busy giving each other fawning looks of adoration, you would have noticed my extremely loud and noisy grand entrance."

Gerik looked stunned momentarily, then laughed. "You know, if you had been out drinking just now, you should have called me along. And don't tell me you are sober; no one can hallucinate those kinds of things unless they are dead drunk." He waved his hand carelessly as he exited the clearing.

There was a long silence. I stared at my blade, refusing to make eye contact with him. He stared at me staring at my blade, pressuring me to make eye contact with him.

"Would you spar with me?" He broke the tense silence. "I didn't mean it that way."

He sounded…almost…apologetic.

"…"

He sighed audibly. "I never wanted to spar with anyone this way, but you leave me with little choice."

There was the ringing of a blade being drawn, and running footsteps across grass.

I drew my own shamshir just in time to deflect the blow that would have scarred my arm. I saw his smirk reflected on the blade of my shamshir, the smirk of a victor.

"I knew that would draw you out."

* * *

Somehow, in the course of our sparring match, he tripped over my leg. Before falling, however, he very kindly latched onto my arm, resulting in the both of us tumbling onto the grass.

We did not stop. Just because we had been fighting while standing vertically meant that we would stop when we were lying horizontally on the ground. Our swords continued to meet, the blades dangerously close to both of our faces.

The swing aimed at my wrist caught me unawares. With a gasp, my shamshir was knocked from my hand. Rolling over, I attempted to grab it before he could.

He surmised that I was going to retrieve my blade when I turned. Swiftly, he seized my wrists, pining me closely against the ground. His legs pinned mine to the grass, preventing me from putting up any further struggles.

It was all embarrassingly déja vu.

For someone who was aspiring to be one of the top assassins in the land, it was extremely demoralising to constantly suffer defeat at the hands of the same person. Taking several deep breaths, I prepared to ask him what he would like to claim this time as his winnings for defeating me.

My eyes met his. Instantly, my mouth dried. Even though it was open, hard as I tried, not a single sound would come out.

His gaze was piercing right into me. I held his gaze, transfixed. There was something mesmerizing and extremely captivating about his dark red pupils when they were staring straight at you intensely.

He was not smirking. Neither was he grinning. His face was a perfect mask, devoid of any emotion that he was feeling. Only his eyes gave m the slightest indicator of what he could be thinking of.

Slowly, he shifted his gaze downwards. He did none that Gerik had done; he did not do a cursory, sweeping overview. Instead, he let his eyes travel slowly and steadily down the path.

My face felt as though it was on the verge of bursting into flames. Wincing, I struggled to release myself from his iron grip, to no avail. His strength was likely 2 times of mine. If anything, it made him grip my wrists even tighter.

The only sounds that could be heard were the sound of our breaths, mine in short, rapid pants and his in smooth deep exhalations.

After what seemed like eternity, he abruptly released me. Grabbing his blade, he brushed the grass off his clothes and walked away, leaving me alone in the clearing with two distinct reminders on my wrists.

* * *

**the Author speaks: **

**Hello, everyone, thanks so much for reading, please review if you think it's good/bad/mediocre. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I felt that this chapter's main purpose is to further develop their emotions and their characters. Even Joshua, beyond the flippancy, has a serious side. This contrasts with the previous chapter: same plot, same ending, but different moods and tones. Yup, but I won't be doing anymore of these sparring scenes in the following chapters, and I'll move on to something hopefully more interesting :D**

**I've also decided to name the chapters after a game of bridge, because of the obvously strong correlation between card games and gambling. **

**Thank you all again!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ace of Spades**

"Thanks Natasha," he winked at the cleric, causing her face to turn from pale to red.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. This was, for Saint Elimine's sake, still a battlefield, and the monsters that stood before us were considerably formidable with their lethal claws and gaping jaws dripping with saliva and venom.

One of the monsters spied me and roared, an inhumane sound coming from the depth of its hairy abominable body. It charged forward, stopping a few metres before me. Only then did I realize size of that _thing_, it completely towered over me, blocking the sun out with its immense body. It opened its mouth and roared again. I was engulfed in a sea of putrid breath.

Grimacing, I took out my daggers. There was no point in being graceful and wasting my shamshir with this foul beast. Bracing myself, I twirled my daggers and crouched down. The beast reared, exposing its soft underside. Seizing my chance, I sprang forward into the air.

There were two bright spurts of red. The monster roared, this time from pain, as it toppled onto the ground, red gore leaking from the large 'X' on the underside of its belly.

I examined the wound I had inflicted on the monstrous beast. Depth, sufficient but could have used more strength to cause more damage; position, accurate and deadly, but could have made the two slashes more symmetrically next time; length of gashes, sufficiently long to cause almost instantaneous death but it would have been better should it have been a few centimeters longer. On the overall, the strokes were correctly performed, but there was room for improvement.

I gazed at my prized daggers – proof of my progress from a less-than-decent myrmidon of a mercenary past to a soon-to-be-feared assassin who would make a name for myself by besting everyone and eventually, my father.

I wiped my cherished possessions gingerly and meticulously on the grass, taking care to ensure that not a drop of that venomous and corrosive monster gore stained the blades.

* * *

"Marisa! Behind you!"

I turned. A huge spider-like beast reared before me, jaws accept, purple poison dripping from claws and jaws. Roaring, it brought its claws sharply down onto where I was standing.

Somersaulting out of the way, I cursed mentally. How could I have been distracted by the cleanliness of my daggers so much that I allowed this disgusting beast to creep up behind me unnoticed?

Unsheathing my shamshir, I leaped forward and slashed a long wound on the side of the monster's head. Screaming with pain, the monster reared once again and slammed its fangs down onto the ground, claws flailing wildly.

I jumped out the path of its flinging claws, which sent the purple venom flying all over the battlefield, dotting the grass and killing whatever that grew where it landed. Steadying my shamshir, I launched another assault, this time with more precision and strength than the last failed attempt.

Two surgically perfect gashes sliced through the monster's body, resulting in a spillage of the purple gore that killed a vast expense of the grass.

I could see myself reflected in all of the monster's many beady black eyes. One of its claws shot out, forcing me to twist in mid-air. The other shot out, effectively trapping me in the air.

I did a flip, but not quickly enough. The poisonous claw grazed my right shoulder, piercing the skin.

I tumbled onto the ground, clutching my shoulder. The monster gave its last dying cries and crumpled onto the grass.

A sharp pain shot out of my wound. I stifled a cry of pain. I had never taken poison well and would never be able to.

I attempted to stand, but collapsed back onto the ground.

"Marisa!" I lifted my head to see Joshua running towards me. "Are you alright?"

"What do you think?" I said through gritted teeth. The pain was becoming intolerable with every passing second.

"Let me see your wound," he tried to pry my left hand away from the wound. "Stop being stubborn, Marisa! Your life is at stake, and I'm not going to watch you die from an infected wound!"

I grudgingly removed my hand.

"It's infected." He gently touched skin around the wound. "We need to get the poison out before it spreads to other parts of your body. But I don't have an antitoxin and Natasha and Moulder both busy trying to save Gilliam…" He frowned. "I hope you won't kill me afterwards for doing this but…"

My eyes widened as he leant in. What was he going to do?

"Wh-wh-what are you doing?" I stammered, before stifling a cry of intense pain by biting down hard on my tongue.

He did not answer, merely continued sucking the poisoned blood out of the wound, before spitting out a mouthful of poison onto the ground.

I was numb, utterly paralyzed as he continued his ministrations. My heartbeat was accelerating at an impossible rate. I could feel the blood rushing to my face.

What…was he doing to me?

Unconsciously, I closed my eyes. Although it felt so…awkward, at the same time, I felt, for once, safe, sound and secure. The feeling of his calloused hands on my arms made me strangely calm and happy. I could feel the corners of my lips turning up slightly into a smile.

The sound of cloth tearing interrupted my fantasy of bliss. He had just torn a strip of cloth off his sleeve. Gently, he wrapped it around my shoulder, covering the wound.

"Done," he smiled. "How is it? Can you stand up?"

"…" I tried once again to stand, but had barely taken a few unsteady steps when I collapsed back onto the grass.

He sighed. "I suppose I could go and call someone with a horse to come and rescue you back to base camp," he kneeled down beside me. "But you are unfortunately unable to defend yourself at all." He smirked. "The usually deadly and swift Crimson Flash has lost her capabilities today."

That was utterly _Joshua._ I resisted the urge to kick him and send him sprawling on the grass. Instead, I contented myself with a fierce glare.

Taking the hand he offered, I stood up with much difficulty. My head spun with every step I took. I faltered.

"It's okay," he tightened his grip on my shoulders, supporting me. "I'm here, Marisa. I don't have the capability to carry you but I'm here to support you."

My heartbeat accelerated again. I took another step, and another.

"That's right, Marisa, we'll make it back soon," he whispered in my ears gently. "Don't worry, I'll be always there to protect you."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

** Third chapter was inspired by Marisa's love of battle. The name was inspired because out of the trump suit, the Ace of Spades has technically the potential to take out any other card in a game of bridge. Next up: Break Trump. I'm going to post the two of these chapters together, because I did chapter 4 first, then realised that the change was too abrupt and did this chapter. Please review, thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Break Trump**

With a fury, I hacked at the vines that dangling before me, slicing through them mercilessly. Green sap oozed from the cuts on the vines, coating my blade a poisonous green.

I slashed till my arms were tired, my legs worn. Cuts from the briars and thorns of the overhanging vegetation peppered my skin. I was bleeding, yes, bleeding from all the wounds and injuries I had sustained all over my body. But physical pain dimmed in comparison with the agony that I was undergoing emotionally, so much so that I did not feel any pain even though one particularly large briar buried itself deep into my arm.

"_Natasha…" His words carried more emotions than I could decipher. "Natasha…I…"_

"_Joshua… it's alright." Her words carried nostalgia, sadness, hope and a glimmer of tenderness?_

_I happened to be strolling in the woods when I had come upon the two of them together in the clearing, surrounded by a ring of white toadstools. Not wanting to be discovered, I had slipped behind a large oak and eavesdropped on their conversation._

_Not daring to make a single sound, I silently turned. _

_Joshua's eyes gleamed as he slowly unfolded and stretched out his arms. Natasha wore her sad smile, the one that she wore everywhere she went no matter what happened around her. Gently, she leaned into his embrace, head against his chest. A few glistening tears spilled down her porcelain cheeks as she sighed and closed her eyes. _

_They made such a perfect picture of silent bliss._

Sweat ran down my forehead and dripped from my chin. Wet strands of hair stuck to the sides of my face. My arms and legs were covered with a salty mixture of blood and sweat. Yet, I continued working, slashing aimlessly at the interfering vegetation in my way.

_Everything felt numb._

_I opened my mouth, but my throat was parched, and no sounds came out at all. I tried to shut my ears, but their sighs and words were still resounding deep within my ear canal, replaying over and over again. I took deep breaths, but every breath I took made me even more breathless than before. I shut my eyes tightly, but the image of them together, that perfect picture, danced over and over again before my eyes. _

"_Natasha…I…"_

"_Joshua… it's alright."_

_Distinctly, I heard something deep within me shatter. Darkness swarmed before my eyes, threatening to engulf me. Their words replayed over and over again, each time increasing in volume and intensity. I saw the two of them looking at me, mocking me, laughing at me, dissipating into empty air as I tried to grab at them._

_Chest heaving, I tried to take in as much oxygen as possible to stop myself from losing consciousness, but each breath was a struggle, a fight. A sharp pain pierced through my chest every time I even tried to gasp for air._

_There was just one solution. _

_Run._

* * *

I felt pain like a pinprick on my arm. Dropping my shamshir, I watched with glazed eyes as a black snake flicker its bright red tongue in my direction, its enormous amber eyes burning with fury. Slowly, it uncoiled itself from my arm; its fangs were coated with blood.

My blood.

I clutched my arm as the cobra slithered away into the bushes where it had come from. It had hurt, but only for a moment.

A dizzyingly sweet feeling cruised through my arm, bringing me to the brink of intoxication. I slumped onto the ground. A cloying sweet taste seeped into my mouth, wet, sticky and viscous. A sickening sweet fragrance flooded my nose, drowning me in a sea of sweetness.

I was hallucinating.

I had to be.

It felt as though I had fallen into a pool of sugar quicksand, only that the sand were grains of sugar. I was surely and slowly being sucked under the sugar into the waiting pool of water. I knew that after my head went under the water too, my fate would be sealed. Yet the honeyed feel of the entire situation seemed to repackage danger in such a way such that at the moment, the invitation of a sweet, drunken fall into my world of illusions seemed like a tempting offer.

Sweet, sweeter, sweetest…I was delusional. Closing my eyes, I leaned against the tree trunk. My breaths were coming out in short pants…honey, golden and fluid…my limbs felt like lead…a bottle of golden liquid, drowning me in its essence, granting me an escape…a road to my imagination…

"Marisa!"

Hush, whatever you are.

"Marisa!" Vaguely, I heard someone yell my name over and over. It sounded so distant, so small. Irritably, I tried waving my hand at the irritating source of the noise. Could they not let someone enjoy their sweet dream while it lasts?

Cream…thick and white and sweet…dollops of cream…

My jaws were forced open and a cold liquid slid in. It seemed to burn a path down my throat to my stomach with its bitterness.

The sweetness was fading rapidly…the sea of syrup receded…the dollops of cream vaporized before my very eyes…the air was no longer sweet, and was instead perfumed by a acrid and pungent odour.

The quick-sugar vanished. The gold and vibrant colours disappeared. I felt as though I had been plunged into a river of ice; I had never felt that aware of my existence, the lifeblood in my veins.

No…my honeyed dreams…come back…I need them…I need that piece of intoxication…that feeling of evasion…

Please…come back…

Back...

* * *

**Personally, I find this chapter a little weird. And a little short. But oh well, poison can do many things to a person. The next chapter will be, I promise, more down-to-earth and realisatic. And it'll be way longer too. Review please! Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Jack of Hearts**

I poked at the embers of the fire with a long stick as I sat on the grass having a one-sided conversation with Tana, the princess of Frelia. Animated, jovial, spirited and carefree, she had once again launched into one of her favourite topics.

"And when he turned around and he saw me on the ground, he was really nice about it and he helped me up in such a gentlemanly manner. Then he asked whether I was tired and then I nodded and guess what?" she turned to me, practically bouncing up and down with excitement. "He told me to take a rest and then he put me on his horse and let me ride with him! It was SO awesome! Like, his arms were wrapped around me and he was so protective and his embrace was so warm…"

My lips curled upwards as she swooned at the memory of her Lord Ephraim riding behind her, all chivalry and regality. I had known her for long enough to be used to her long anecdotes about Lord Ephraim and her relationship progress.

"And then when we reached base camp, he helped me down and he told me that he really liked what had just…" Tana paused in mid-sentence. "Hi, I think I know your name...Joshua right?"

My eyes widened as the stick in my hand nearly slipped and fell onto the ground.

Why was he here?

"And I am pleasantly surprised that almost every girl in the army knows me." Indeed, it was his voice. "And you are none other than Princess Tana of Frelia I presume, sister of Prince Innes?"

Tana giggled. "Uh huh, I think my brother knows you right? Sometimes he tells me funny stories about you and the coin trick." The energetic princess flounced over to my side and retrieved her lance. "I think I better go and see Ephraim, before he starts wondering where I am. Bye Joshua! See you, Marisa!" With another wave of her hand, she walked away with a spring in her footsteps.

"She's a funny one, isn't she?" He chuckled. "How did you know her?"

"…" Silence ensued.

Tossing the stick into the fire, I picked up my shamshir and stood up.

His hand enclosed around my wrist tightly just as I attempted to brush past him. "You have been avoiding me lately," he said. "Why?"

I attempted in vain to twist my wrist free from his iron grasp. From the beginning to the end, no longer how much I tried, how long I trained, how hard I practiced, I could never match his capability in terms of strength. "I haven't been avoiding you," I said with a straight face. "Let go of me."

He grabbed my other wrist and turned me to face him. "You haven't?" His eyes were blazing. "Ever since that day I saved you in the forest when you were dying of that snake bite you have been avoiding me. Whenever I am in your vicinity or within visible sight you move away. At mealtimes you stick to either Tethys or Tana. You don't find me to spar with you. Last week when I walked into the room where you were sparring with Gerik you walked out of the room before there was a clear victory for either of you. And yesterday I saw you walking into the tactician's tent." He frowned as I opened my mouth to protest. "Don't deny it! I heard every word of what you said. You wanted to change battle partners, but he wanted you to reconsider. Yet you insisted on not being my battle partner any longer, and he let you battle alongside that sage named Saleh. You would rather rely on someone you don't even know than have me as a battle partner?"

His words were the truth, nothing but the truth. I was silent, trapped. I could not free myself from his stranglehold, but neither could I throw away the last shard of human dignity and pride in me by confessing that I was in love with him and was evading him.

"Please, Marisa…" He was pleading now. "Tell me…if there is anything I can do to have you back, be back in your favour, I will do it. Just tell me what did I do wrong and I will correct it, alright?"

I shook my head as I continued trying to pull my hands free. There was nothing that he could do to help me. Why could he not understand that?

"Marisa, please," he begged. "At least if you're really unhappy with me, you could tell me what I did to make you so angry at me? Now, I really have no idea what criminal offense I had just committed."

More silence. If only he could see that I was the one at fault for the entire incident. He had never been wrong, I was to blame for everything.

"Fine, if you refuse to talk it out, we could always battle it out," he said drawing his sword. "

"…" I closed my eyes as the blade of his sword slashed towards my neck. To die in his hands, at this juncture, seemed strangely ironic but fitting.

His blade grazed the skin on my neck, exactly where my jugular artery was located. Yet, although I could feel the coldness of the metal, I did not feel the rush of warm blood that was the expected outcome.

I opened my eyes in surprise. The blunt edge of his blade was the one that was resting against my neck.

He looked even more surprised than I did. "You…really won't even lift your sword?" He sounded incredulous. "Why…What…"

I sighed audibly. There was really nothing to be done. And no matter what he said, what he did, nothing could be changed. "Joshua, it's not your fault…It's mine." Turning, I ran away as fast as I could, before he could see the tears that were threatening to spill over.

* * *

"Marisa?" The person gently tapped me on the shoulder.

"What is it, Tethys?" I turned around, removing the blanket cover from my face.

The dancer sat down gracefully on the side of my bed. "Gerik and I are worried about you," she said hesitantly. "Ever since that day when Joshua carried you back from the forest, you haven't been acting normally. Your appetite is smaller than usual, you don't bother sparring with anyone, you spend an abnormally large amount of your time polishing your shamshir, even if you haven't used it, while you were once quiet you are now _silent_." She paused. "All that and you have been avoiding Joshua for all this time."

"…" I tried tugging the bedsheets back over my head. If she wanted to play 'Aunt Agony', she should go find Rennac. Heck, he would probably be so happy to tell her all of his many problems that she would be occupied for the rest of her life.

"You love him, don't you?"

I froze. Was she talking about Joshua? How in the world did she find out? How in the world could she know? I never did tell anyone that I felt something special for Joshua.

But…even if she did know the truth, what difference would it make? As I had tried to tell Joshua just now, nothing could be done anymore.

I shrugged nonchalantly.

She sighed. "I knew this would happen, and I can only guess from what I feel and see. But from what I can tell, you really love him very much."

I tightened my grip on the bedsheets. Please let her be talking about Gerik; the last thing I wanted was another emotional breakdown, this time in front of a living, breathing person.

"I don't know what happened that day, but I believe you saw something that broke your heart, that made you think that he will reject you if you open your heart to him," she continued. "And so now you're avoiding him, because you can't forgive yourself for falling in love with him, and neither can you forgive him for making you fall in love with him, be it intentional or unintentional."

I kept my silence. As hard as I tried, a lone teardrop still flowed down the contours of my face and landed on the pillow.

The teardrop did not go unnoticed by her observant gaze. Lightly, she patted my hand. "You know, Gerik and I both think that you two are very suited for each other. You concentrate on what you do, and you have great aspirations, Marisa, but you were never a people's person, and you never had a strong heart, regardless of what you display on the outside." She sounded that she was doing a psychological analysis of her patients. "Joshua is flippant, casual and he has a more carefree approach to life, but he knows how to take care of himself, the people around him and get what he wants at the same time. If you two were together, he would be your pillar of support, and you would be the aim of his life and teach him to lead a life with more than just gambling and luck…"

"…" Everything that she had just said was beautifully ideal, mythical. It was a summary of the kind of dreams I had been having ever since I met him, a dream where there was no unrequited love, no feeling of loss, no heartbreak, nothing but love and happiness.

I pulled the blankets over my head once more, stifling the muffled sounds of crying until I heard her walk out and the door close.

But dreams are called dreams for a reason, and dreams are not supposed to come true. They are fantasies that remain beyond your grasp, so far yet so near.

Like the fruits of Tantalus, they linger before your eyes, tempting you, mocking you. Yet, when you reach forth to pluck, they are just beyond your grasp.

Dreams will remain as dreams.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hope you have enjoyed this chapter! Following this will be the three-part finale :D **

**In the 2nd last line, Tantalus is a reference to Greek mythology. Tantalus was this man who was condemned by Zeus to a life of eternal torment where he would be hungry and thirsty and fruits would dangle beofre his eyes. But as he reach out, the fruits will move out of his reach. It refers to eternal torment and the longing after something that you never will have.**

**Oh and for the last part, I think that Marisa cries too. She's cold and aloof, but i don't think she's a particularly strong person at heart. She's motivated, but she would be easily saddened by unrequited love, i presume, since people like her, when they fall in love, it's an all-out fall. And I believe that deep down inside her, she still has the full range of emotions from desire to sorrow to happiness. **

**Please review! Thanks so much ~**


	6. Chapter 6

**Queen of Hearts (Finale Part 1)**

"Ready, milady?" the bridesmaid asked me in hushed tones.

The double doors opened before me as the orchestra started to play. Brilliant sunlight flooded the church, illuminating the happy faces of the many celebrated and prominent people who had come to watch the marriage.

Clutching the bouquet of red roses carefully in my hands, I made my way slowly down the red carpet to the altar. Amidst the thunderous applause from all corners of the church, I concentrated hard on being graceful for once in my life and not tripping over the lacy frills of my long white gown.

The tiara balanced on my head was giving me a headache, and the dainty little crystal slippers that the bridesmaids had insisted I wear were threatening to trip me with every step I took. It was not as though I had actually cared about how I would look, if Kai had not intervened at that point in time those chambermaids would be nothing but freshly-dead corpses but this time.

At least those giggling chambermaids did not realize that I had silently tucked two of my daggers into my stockings in case of need.

Mentally, I prayed that I would be able to walk to altar with no mishaps. The last thing I wanted was to lose my dignity in front of all these distinguished people.

Perhaps a deity had heard my prayers, or maybe it was because she took pity on my pitiful predicament; I made it safely to the altar with my gown in one piece, train white and pristine, not a strand of hair out of place, tiara still perfectly in the center, roses still in hands and crystal slippers still intact.

Now I had to stand straight for the next hour without moving, twitching or breaking anything. The first two parts were relatively easy. The third one was near impossible.

Did I just hear a crack coming from the right slipper?

Kai smiled warmly at me. "You look lovely," he whispered.

"Mmhm." I refrained from curtsying lest I topple over the altar and land right on the poor priest Moulder, who had kindly agreed to perform our marriage ceremony.

Speaking of Moulder, I bit back a chuckle when I saw that the priest was tiptoeing on 6 tomes just so as to make his head visible over the altar.

Clearing his throat three times, Moulder shuffled the stack of papers before him and launched into an eight-page lecture about the sanctity of marriage and fidelity, chastity and virtue, men and women. From the corners of my eye, I could see King Innes of Frelia holding up his baby son while his wife, Vanessa, rubbed her swollen belly contentedly. Lord Ephraim of Renais was whispering into the ear of his wife, my friend Tana, who had apparently got her life-long wish of being married to her prince charming. A large number of guests were either dozing off or, in the case of L'Arachel, the princess of Rausten was painting her fingernails pink while chattering to a sulking Rennac.

Trying to prevent myself from falling asleep as well, I took to studying my soon-to-be husband.

Kai was, in many's eyes, a gorgeous specimen of a man who epitomized the word 'handsome'. Or in L'Arachel's words, he was a 'hot, rich and valuable commodity'. With the blond windswept hair, dark blue eyes and chiseled profile, he had no doubt caused heartaches for many women. It did not help that he was one of the most prominent lords in the Republic of Carcino who was speculated to be the leading choice to succeed senator Pablo. I had little doubt that his marriage would likely cause much jealousy and heartbreak for women all over Magvel.

"_Are you hurt?" The stranger pulled back his hood and sheathed his sword. His voice was surprisingly gentle. "Here, let me help you. I'll help you treat your injuries back in my keep, alright?"_

_I was reluctant to be in a stranger's arms, on a stranger's horse, and much more that I was headed for a stranger's house. I was too weak to protest. Having been blasted repeated by lightning and Elfire, I would most likely have perished in these woods in the hands of the bandits if not for his timely intervention. I had no right to question any further decision that he made. _

_In fact, by all laws of swordsmanship, if he wished to kill me right now, it would be deemed perfectly fine._

_I had entrusted my life into his hands._

He noticed me staring and gracefully arched an eyebrow.

_I knocked on the door, waited for his response and entered the study. "You called, Lord Kai?" My face bore no expression and my voice revealed nothing._

_He lifted his head from where he had been busy reading through trading and mercantile documents. "I was hoping that you would do me a favour. You said you wanted to thank me for taking care of you right? What would you say if I wanted you to stay here and train the soldiers?"_

_I was stunned. I had not expected to be offered employment. "Are you sure…about this?" The idea of interaction with a crowd of people everyday did not appeal to me the least._

_He laughed. "My dear Marisa, if the Crimson Flash cannot train my soldiers, do I have to ask your father instead to undertake the task?"_

_I shrugged. Personally, I thought it was a good idea. If my father took up that position, I could then find him, at long last, and challenge him to a duel. I would finally have the chance to prove to my father that I possess the same mettle as him and mother. If only he would stop wandering from Renais to Grado all the time and settle down for once. I was already dizzy from tracking his last footsteps, which was reported to be somewhere in the mountains of Grado._

"_I understand that your wish is not to be tied down to one place but to traverse the world," he nodded. "But perhaps we could try this arrangement out, for perhaps a small amount of time? Maybe…who knows, you may even like it."_

_My silence signified my consent._

He smiled at me encouragingly.

"_You found my father?" I stared at him, pale. "How?"_

_He shrugged. "Bait, espionage and a bit of gold. Your father couldn't resist a challenge. I told my men to tell him that I found a master swordsman for him to test his skills against, and he came wholeheartedly. He's waiting in the garden."_

_I grabbed my shamshir. Finally, after so many years, I could show my father how much I had improved._

"_Good luck," he called behind me._

"Come on, smile a little," he whispered. "I know you can smile, and I know you look dazzling when you smile."

"_You won, didn't you?" he smiled._

_I nodded. "Finally, he admitted that I was better than him." I could still see the toothy smile my father gave me when my blade rested against his neck. He had only said one word 'good', but I knew that it was his way of expressing his pride, his joy and his acknowledgement of my skills._

_I was…finally…at peace. _

"_Thank you."_

_He was startled, so startled that he dropped the parchment that he was reading. "Pardon?" He stared at me, eyes wide. In his memory, he had probably never heard me put so much emotion into my speech. _

"_I said, thank you," I smiled. For the first time in a long time, I said 'thank you' not out of obligation, but out of sincere heartfelt gratitude._

_I left him in his study, still stunned. The parchment lay forgotten on the carpeted floor. _

Moulder was winding up his speech by thanking all the nobles of the various regions starting with Renais.

"_I hope you would agree to this," he frowned. "I understand that it is difficult for you since I know you don't have feelings for me, but I need to marry soon and I feel that you will be the most suitable wife I can find. You are quiet, graceful, self-disciplined, neutral in your expression and speech…In short, you possess many of the qualities a noblewoman needs to have. Being a skilled swordswoman is, of course, an added bonus."_

_He sounded as though he was writing a recommendation letter._

"_Of course, even though this is a marriage of convenience and duty I am still very fond of you, and I am sure I am tolerable to you, and we will still need to fulfill all duties as husband and wife to each other…"_

"_I accept," I said crisply. He had saved my life, given me free lodging, helped me obtain employment, found my father, fulfilled my life-long wish. I was forever in his debt. _

_Besides, the idea of a marriage of convenience sounded soothing at this point in my life. Maybe it could heal that scar on my heart? Love no longer mattered. Joshua was, very possibly, already enjoying married life with Natasha, my name long forgotten._

_I envisioned a way out of the prison of misery that had trapped me for the past five years. Perhaps life as a noblewoman of Carcino would even turn out surprisingly interesting. _

"_Pardon?" He was shocked. I presumed that he had not expected me to respond so readily._

"_I accept your proposal," I repeated. "On one condition, I am allowed to refuse some of your guests to come."_

"Do you, Kai of Carcino, agree to take this woman as your wife?" Moulder peered at Kai, straining on the tips of his toes.

"I do." Kai's voice resounded in the church, loud and clear. I could hear a few women sitting amongst the crowd swoon. L'Arachel was teetering at the edge of her seat, straining to have a better look.

"And do you, Marisa of Jehanna, agree to take this man as your husband?" Moulder turned to peer at me.

"I…do." Once Moulder pronounced us husband and wife, there would be no regrets, no turning back, only the future lying ahead of us. Once Kai slipped the ring onto my finger, there could be no more heartbreak, no more misery over love, no more pining over another man. Joshua's presence would have to disappear from my mind, and be replaced by Kai.

"Are there any objections to this marriage?" Moulder tiptoed even further. I feared that soon, he was going to topple over onto the altar at the angle he was leaning. "No? Then I hereby pronounce the two of you –"

"Stop!" The doors were flung open roughly.

Moulder nearly crashed headfirst into his notes. Many gasped at the sudden intrusion. Kai grasped my hand in his. Everyone turned at the entry of the unexpected guest.

He was tall, blocking out nearly all of the sunlight from filtering through the doorway. He was carrying a heavy-looking sword, had wild cropped hair and a scar running across the face.

Gerik?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Haha. Finally, it's my turn to be evil and end off with a cliffhanger (Is it even a cliffhanger)? Oh well, so Gerik crashes the wedding in part 1. So sorry there wasn't anything of Joshua in this chapter, I'll feature him A LOT in the next two chapters.**

**Kai...he's a character that I thought up of that seemed like a perfect gentleman. His outward appearance is inspired by Percival of FE 6, although he's character is tends more towards Roy than Percival. I know that it's quite surprising to bring in a sudden new character, but I hope that he'll be pretty well-developed by the end of the story. **

**Stay tuned for Part 2!**

**Cheerios ~**


	7. Chapter 7

**King of Hearts (Part 2 of Finale)**

Gerik?

But…why was he here? After five years, why did he resurface in my life once again on the most important day of my life to interrupt the most important event of my life? If he was on one of his 'jokes' again, I swear that by the time I had finished dealing with him he would wish he had never been born.

More importantly, _how did he know where and when I was getting married?_ Did Kai not recall that messenger at the gate of Carcino? Did he not hand that invitation to me with a frown? Did I not throw the invitation into the fire and watch until every last scrap had been licked by the flames? Were the ashes not collected and the fireplace swept clean the next morning?

"Who are you?" Kai held my hand tightly, his voice stern and unwavering. "And why do you seek to interrupt my wedding?" He drew his sword from the jeweled scabbard hanging from his belt in one fluid sweep.

The crowd looked scandalized by the sight of a weapon in a holy place. Someone screamed.

I had thought it had been part of a ceremonial sword. As the blade gleamed in the light, sharp and deadly, I could not help but marvel at the state of preparedness Kai was in all the time. The weight of my trusty daggers, hidden within my stockings, suddenly felt lighter.

If there was a need for weapons, I could always borrow Kai's…

"Hey, hey, hey, chill," Gerik's eyes widened at the sight of a blade longer than his own. "I come in peace, as a friend of the bride."

"Is that true, Marisa?" Kai asked me, sword still poised in the air, eyes trailing Gerik's every movement. "Do you know this man?"

I nodded, but did not let down my guard either. "He was a friend from the past when I was still a mercenary. I was under his service."

Kai relaxed instantaneously, but did not sheath his sword, merely lowered the point of the sword. "If you are a friend of my bride, you are welcome to enter and join the ceremony. Please take a seat. Whatever well-wishes you have for my bride, it can wait till the ceremony is over."

"I did not come to wish her well-wishes," Gerik said. "I've come to ask her to reconsider before she makes the most fatal mistake of her life."

I gasped, as did many in the crowd. Beside me, Kai coloured slightly, the redness nearly invisible on his fair skin. The sword in his hand trembled violently, and I knew that he was resisting the urge to commit a sacrilege in the vicinity of the church.

"I beseech you to rephrase that accusation in a less offensive manner to both my bride and me," Kai said in a cold fury. As one of the lords of Carcino, no one had ever insulted him more than 'my lord, I have another, differing viewpoint that I beg you to consider'. "Otherwise I may not be so compassionate as to let you walk out of these grounds unscathed."

Gerik ignored him. "Marisa, Joshua's coming." He said, looking at me straight in the eye. "Joshua's coming."

* * *

I daresay the effect was instantaneous. I was certain that everyone in the church heard my sharp intake of breath. The bouquet of roses almost slipped and fell from my hands. My legs lost their strength and I leaned on Kai for the necessary support so that I would not collapse there and then.

Why? I could hear a muffled buzzing in my ears, growing louder and louder.

After five years of running away, why had the past caught up with me again? Why can they not just let me go? Why must he keep me enslaved to him for the rest of my life? Why can I never seem to cut off all threads from him? _How in the world did he know I was getting married?_

The crowd stirred uneasily. A murmuring passed from year to year. Speculations arose from every corner of the church regarding this mysterious 'Joshua'. I could hear L'Arachel boasting at the top of her voice about how she knew a particular Joshua who had awful luck whenever he played with her and that she had once won games of chance ten times straight while betting with him.

"Silence!" Kai shouted, effectively shutting everyone up. He pointed the tip of his sword at Gerik. "You claim that in marrying me, my bride was making a mistake, on what grounds do you make such a seditious statement?"

"Because she won't be happy with you!" Gerik retorted. "You don't love her, she doesn't love you; how would you ever make her happy? Joshua, on the other hand, would be able to make her happy …"

The crowd gasped and turned to stare at Kai, as though Gerik had just revealed one of Kai's deep dark scandalous secrets.

"Well, nothing wrong with that…" A plump elderly lord said in a wheezy voice. He was sitting in the front row, taking enough space for three men. "I did that too…"

"Shhh…Boris…" A young woman, his wife I presumed, silenced him. She was young enough to be his granddaughter.

"When I asked for her hand, I told her that it was a marriage of duty and she accepted," Kai enunciated clearly, as though he was talking to a child. "That proves that she understands what this marriage entails and she accepts the terms that come with it so-"

"So she's making a mistake!" Gerik interrupted. "Joshua would be able to make her ten times happier than you would ever be able to and-"

"Chie-Gerik," I found my voice, at long last. It was unbelievably painful to say everything, but I had to, to close that previous chapter and move on to a brand new one in my life. "I chose to marry Kai. He can make me happy, he-"

"He can't make you happy!" Gerik shouted, pointing his sword at Kai. "Sure, you'll have a comfortable life, maybe you'll be satisfied, but will you be happy staying at home all day long looking after a brood of children like a contented mother hen?"

"We have certain…affections…for each other," I said, silencing him. Beside me, Kai tightened his grip on my wrist. "But we will make each other happy, and Joshua cannot give me-"

"Joshua can, he loves-" Gerik started.

"He cannot, he loves-" My vice was growing shriller by the minute, drowning his out.

"He loves you and he would thank everybody very much if all of you would stop speculating and give him a chance to explain."

* * *

My mouth fell open.

A hush fell over the crowd.

Five years had passed, five long years, but he still looked exactly the same. He had the same nose, the same eyes, the same smirk, and even his hair was roughly the same length.

The sound of rushing blood thundered in my ears as I stared mutely at the swordsmaster who had just stepped into the church.

"Marisa…" he walked down the aisle towards me. Stopping before the steps to the altar, he nodded at Kai.

"King Joshua of Jehanna," Kai bowed. I could feel the unwillingness rolling off him in waves. "It's a pleasure. If you would take a seat and watch this ceremony…"

Joshua pointedly ignored him. "Marisa, he loves you, he really does," he said. "And he would be eternally grateful if you give him a chance to explain before you become another man's wife."

My mouth was still open, but I could not find my tongue. Mutely, I stared at him, traced every line in that countenance with my gaze. My heart throbbed painfully, as though someone had just stabbed it with a sharp dagger. Why? After all these years, why must you come and look for me again? Why could you not set me free from the all the pain that I had suffered?

"Aren't you…married?" I refused to believe that he was still unmarried. In the five years that had passed, he could already have had two children with Natasha. My heart clenched at the vision of him and Natasha playing happily in the desert with two miniature versions of them.

"No." He shook his head lightly. "I couldn't find the person I wanted to marry, so how did could I marry anyone?"

I stood still, staring at him, trying to understand his words. Did he mean that Natasha ran away from him? What? What was he trying to say? In its confused state, my brain had stopped all logical thinking and analysis.

"King Joshua," Kai tightened his grip on my hand and encircled one arm protectively around my waist. "I _must_ ask you to please leave my bride so that the wedding ceremony can carry on and anything that you wish to say you may wait until-"

"If I am supposed to wait until the ceremony is over then there is already no point in saying anything." Joshua silenced him. Catching my gaze, he took a step forward.

Swallowing nervously, I took a step backward.

He took another step forward.

I took another step backward.

"Marisa…you look beautiful today…" He said hoarsely. "I know that you don't trust what I say, but…I have to tell you this. I was never in love with Natasha; what you saw that day forest was a mistake. It wasn't what you thought it was." He paused, watching my reaction. Seeing none, he continued. "She…thought she loved me, but I didn't reciprocate her feelings. I knew that she couldn't love anyone in particular, that her love was devoted to the larger of mankind, to the poor, to the impoverished, to the sick…She was above all of us. She was more saint than man, and I knew that no one would ever have been able to actually retain her love."

"So you were in love with her, but she didn't love you and that is why you shifted your affections now to Marisa." Kai continued simply. "And so you wish now to use my bride as your rebound so as to preserve your dignity and your pride as a man."

Joshua rolled his eyes. "Didn't you hear what I just said? I was _never_ in love with her. Do you know the meaning of never? Or do you want me to spell it out for you letter by letter?" He sighed heavily. "I admit that I embraced her, but it really wasn't what you thought it was! I talked to her, and she finally saw that she had been in love all along with an illusion of me. She thought I was this hero of Magvel whose life-long ambition was to save dying people but obviously, I am neither a hero nor a humanitarian. But it was difficult for her to accept, indeed it would be difficult for anyone, to realize that they had been in love with a fantasy, and she was crying. She asked for a gamble before she left. If she won, I was to give her a single hug. I agreed, and she won. And the end result…well, you saw it, Marisa…"

Was he telling the truth? Admittedly, he seemed sincere, but the words I heard that day…I had not heard everything, and whatever I had heard did not fully suggest that they were in love…so was everything my speculation? The perfect picture of bliss…the tender exchange of words…the intimacy of their embrace…it was all influenced and overwhelmed by my personal opinion? It was never what I had imagined it to be?

Head spinning, I leant back, hand on the altar for support, as I pondered everything that Joshua has just revealed. So everything…everything that had driven me away from him…was a figment of my imagination?

* * *

"Father Moulder," Kai turned to the altar. "As you can see, my bride is not feeling well. Would it not be best if we could conclude this ceremony and allow me to bring my bride home to let her rest?"

Moulder's mouth was still opening and closing like a goldfish. "Su-sure Lord Kai," he mopped the sweat on his forehead nervously. Clearing his throat, he feebly attempted to announce, "And hereby I pronounce you hus-"

"Wait!" I recognized that high-pitched squeak as L'Arachel's voice. "You can't do that! You're supposed to wait till all objections to the marriage have been resolved before you can continue." She fluttered her eyelashes at her bodyguard. "Right Rennac?"

"What? Uh…yeah…yeah…whatever…" Rennac hastily stowed away the skeleton key he had been playing with.

I heard Kai swear quietly, a break from his usual gentlemanly behaviour.

"I'm fine," I disentangled myself from his arms. "Joshua, if everything was true…why didn't you find me earlier?"

He lowered his head. "I wasn't sure, see, I thought…that maybe you really didn't love me at all, you know…you were acting so distant and aloof…so I decided to just let you be…Then after I became king and everything ended…Gerik came to find me one day with Tethys and he told me about your conversation with Tethys…the dates and places somehow connected…and I realized…" He looked up in anguish. "But then…you were already gone, gone somewhere that no one knew. I tried asking, I really did! In fact I asked everyone that could have known you. I even went to Renais just to ask Princess Tana if she had any idea where you could have gone. But no one knew, you had disappeared without a trace." He held up a cream coloured card. "Then three days ago, an ambassador of Grado came over on a bilateral visit, and he showed me this card. When I say your name written there, Marisa, the first thing I did was find a horse, grab Gerik and ride for Carcino. You cannot imagine how relieved I am that Gerik managed to intercept your wedding in time, after worrying for three days and nights that we would arrive just a little too late."

Lifting his hand, Joshua threw the wedding invitation card at Kai. "And now I would like to know why did the kingdom of Jehanna not receive an invitation for this wedding." Amidst the gasps from the guests, he unsheathed his sword in one swift motion. His eyes were narrowed, his red pupils blazing. "You know the new bilateral rules, don't you, Lord Kai? All members of nobility were present that day to agree on policies to resolve further conflict between nations," he whispered, soft but menacing. "Should I remind you? When a member of the nobility gets married, all royalties from all over Magvel have to be invited so as to promote peace and harmony between states, am I right? The invitation must arrive one week beforehand, is that so? So why didn't Jehanna's invitation arrive, may I ask?"

Everyone stared in mute horror at the tip of Audhulma, resting lightly against Kai's chest.

"You do know the penalties for openly flouting the bilateral rules, right?" Joshua said softly, eyes pinned on the tip of his sword. He sounded like a predator, sleek and darkly dangerous. "According to the rules and regulations, the member of the royalty uninvited is given permission to punish the offender as he deems fit. Since I am the King of Jehanna, your crime is, no doubt, a great one. So demanding your life to avenge this sacrilege to my country should not be too unreasonable, right?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Finally, Joshua's back! To crash the wedding! YAY! In such a cool and suave fashion! (Yeah, compared to him, Kai is like o.0)**

**Yeah, the last part about the bilateral thing is a little sudden I know, but it makes sense to have rules and agreements such as these. Like, peace treaties and alliances and such, I'm sure they had something of that sort to try and uphold whatever peace and harmony they did have. Think diplomacy.**

**To be continued in the next chapter, which would be the grand of the grande finale! Hope you have liked this chapter, and the story, review please! Thanks!**

**Cheerios~**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ace of Hearts (Part 3 of Finale)**

There was a prolonged period of deafening silence.

"I presume that the messenger carrying the invitation lost his way in the vast deserts of Jehanna or died en route from bandits or in an accident," Kai said stiffly, eyeing the blade wearily. "However, if your highness insists on making me shoulder the blame, I will, in which case I would accept whatever punishment your highness think I deserve." He bowed his head. "Even if it be the overly harsh punishment as your highness deems to be fit for an administrative error."

I silently winced at Kai's audacity. I could see Joshua's eyes narrowing dangerously into two slits, with a deep furrow appearing between his brows. From experience, I could tell that he was angry, furious and ready to strike. Slowly, he lifted his sword.

"No!" Turning, I threw down the roses and unsheathed Kai's sword from its scabbard, defending him with my body. The blade was too heavy for me to use it comfortably, and it was too long, but it was still manageable if I held it in my two hands. Standing in front of Kai, I positioned the sword to deflect any attacks from the legendary Audhulma.

Joshua's eyes widened. The tip of Audhulma trembled, sending a blue spark falling onto the carpet. "You would…protect him with…your life?" His voice trembled.

The tip of my sword wavered. My hands were starting to ache from holding up such a heavy weight. "It's not his fault," I proclaimed. "I was the one who stopped the messenger at the gates of Carcino. If you really want to, kill me instead of Kai. He's innocent."

"You..." Kai was momentarily taken aback. "But I…"

I silenced him with a sharp nudge to his ribs. I knew that he was the one who recalled the messenger at the gates of Carcino. I knew that he was the one who warned me of the dangers if we were found out. I knew that he was the one who had persuaded me relentlessly to let the invitation be sent to Jehanna. And I knew that it was from his hand that I took the recalled invitation from. So technically, if anyone had to pinpoint the blame, it would be him who had to accept the punishment.

But I was the one who wanted the invitation to be recalled. I was the one who threatened to cancel the wedding unless he recalled the invitation. I was the one who burned the invitation. I was the one who watched the invitation burn in the fireplace, writhing as it was consumed by the tongues of the flame.

It was my continuous silence that goaded him into doing so. I was the one who could not face the King of Jehanna. I was the one who insisted on recalling the invitation and violating the foreign policy rules even though I was clear of the consequences. And thus, if he were to die for it, I was going to die first.

A spark of realization shone in Joshua's eyes. The corners of his lips twitched. His hand, the one holding Audhulma, shook.

He had never been a stupid man. He understood in a flash.

And he laughed.

It was not a spiteful laugh, neither was it a peal of victorious laughter. It was similar to any normal laugh anyone would make when they encounter a humorous object or incident.

"I would have never imagined, Marisa," he laughed. "That you would have risked your own life to save anyone whom you didn't care a whit for." The smile on his face turned upside down into a bitter frown. "After all that I have said, you still don't believe a thing of what I have said, don't you?"

He was spot-on as usual. Even after everything that he had said, no, I still did not fully believe him. Perhaps the misunderstanding of each other's feelings was still acceptable, but the image of him embracing Natasha was so deeply etched in my memory that it was imprinted. Every time I close my eyes, I could see the two of them dancing before my eyes, smiling beautifully at each other.

"Well then, my time is up," he gave me a small smile, although I could see the disappointment and sorrow in his eyes. I was once again reminded of the feature that I loved best about him. "Seems like Lady Luck abandoned me today again." He attempted to grin as though nothing had happened. "But I won't give up hope, Marisa. Five years ago, I made a bet with heaven. I took heads, and I told myself that if the coin fell as heads, heaven wants me to pursue you. If tails, it means that heaven feels that we are not fated. I didn't rig the coin; I didn't cheat in the flipping. The coin fell as heads, and thus, I believe that heaven has always wanted me to continue loving you." He bowed his head. "I'll always wait for you in Jehanna. My mother's throne has been empty ever since she died, and…it will remain empty for you, Marisa. So long as I am alive and you are not back, no one will sit in that throne even if someone holds a blade to my throat…If you do change your mind one day…I'll always be there for you with open arms…" His voice had died down into a hollow whisper. "Always…"

He sheathed Audhulma. "Come on Gerik, time to leave."

As I watched him turn, my heart broke once again. I loved him, I used to, I still did and I would for the rest of my life. Even if I could distance myself from him physically, a portion of my heart would forever be retained for him. Marrying Kai would provide a relief, but a relief could only do so much; the next time I see him again, I would again fall deeper in love with him, and when he leaves again, my heart would break again.

I resisted the urge to cry as I watched his back turn.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he paused in the middle of the aisle and turned back. Delving into his pocket, he pulled out a small object and placed on my palm. "I had meant to give this to you five years ago, but I never had the chance, and this might be the last one I'll ever have." He spoke so softly that only Kai and I could hear what he was saying. "Do you remember how we used to spar, and whenever it boiled down to a contest of brute strength you would always lose to me?" He chuckled at the memory. "You were always upset over the fact that I was stronger than you, so I asked Colm to help me buy this from one of those underground secret shops."

I opened my hand. It was a golden ring, with a large red jewel at the centre. "An energy ring?"

Joshua nodded. "Look inside."

There were words engraved on the inside of the ring: _I will always be there to protect you_. Clearly, I recalled that day when I had been poisoned by a monster, and he had helped me back to base camp, arms around my shoulders, supporting me with every step I took, whispering words of encouragement in my ears.

Under normal circumstances, I would have been cold, exhausted and irritated. But with his arms around my shoulders, my body leaning against his, I was warm, cozy, comfortable and contented.

Would I…ever experience that ever again?

"I was going to confess to you that day when you saw me with Natasha in the forest. I was so worried when I saw you lying there by yourself, your lips white from the poison, the cold sweat forming on your forehead. I thought I was too late." He bit his lip. "Then after that, after you recovered, you never gave me the chance to tell you my feelings. You always, always ran away from me, avoided me everyday, everywhere…so today, I'll give this to you, and hopefully I'll make myself feel better when I return home and know that you are another man's wife." He took a step back. The crimson pupils were dull. "If you ever give me the chance, Marisa, I promise I'll make up for all the hurt and pain I've ever caused you over the past five years. I'll love you more than any man has ever loved a woman. I'll…" He trailed off and turned to Kai instead. "Take care of her for me." Turning to me one last time, he smiled, not a smirk, not a grin, but a smile. "I love you, Marisa, forever and always."

* * *

As we watched Joshua walk slowly down the aisle towards the door, Kai turned to me. "Do you…love him, Marisa?" he asked. There was no threat, no anger, no sorrow or disappointment in his voice, just curiosity. "Tell me truthfully."

There was no point in lying. I nodded, still following Joshua with my gaze.

Kai nodded, exhaled deeply. "I suspected as much. Go after him."

His words shocked me. That was not what I had expected. Was he not going to reprimand me for ruining the wedding? Was he not displeased by the fact that they were so many disruptions in our wedding ceremony? Was he not upset that another man had just came to challenge his position as my husband-to-be? Was he not angry that after we married, he would never be able to obtain the whole of my heart? "What?" I gasped, open-mouthed. "But…I thought…"

At the very least I had expected a duel, a challenge from him to Joshua, a clash between Kai's jeweled blade and Joshua's Audhulma. Was he not at all furious that the King of Jehanna had just burst into his wedding to announce to the whole world that he was in love with the bride?

Grasping me by the shoulders, he turned me to face him. "Listen Marisa," he sighed. "I am a gentleman, I won't force you to marry me. I've seen you with a sword. It'll turn out badly for both of us." He took a deep breath. "That day, when you described your relationship with King Joshua to me, I believed your words. I thought that you were seriously disheartened and disillusioned by the idea of love, and that you would be happy fulfilling your duties, doing what is expected of you. I thought that finally, I could find a wife who would be contented living as my dutiful wife instead of fawning over me and begging for affection everyday. But now- no, don't protest- you have proven that you have not at all given up on love. Even if you marry me now, there is no stopping that eternal spring in your heart that will continue to bleed for King Joshua. No-stop interrupting me – you love him right? Then go with him. I shall not deprive you of love when I myself do not seek it."

"But he-" I cast a lingering gaze at Joshua's back.

"Don't tell me he doesn't love you," Kai said sternly. "I have never seen a man more in love with a woman, even though all I've seen was just the fifteen minutes that had just passed. He's even willing to take up a life of celibacy for you, what else do you expect him to say? Not to mention that he's a king, he could have a harem of beautiful women, but he only wants you. He really loves you, Marisa, more than you can ever imagine. And he'll be able to make you happier than I ever will make you. I'm fond of you, Marisa, but he loves you. And there is a fundamental difference between love and like. If you do marry me now just because you think that he doesn't care about you, one day, you'll wake up and you'll regret it so deeply that you won't be able to forgive yourself for being a fool. Now go, before I have to resort to forcing you."

"But what about-" I began.

"Don't worry about me, I'll live," Kai cracked a small smile. "I'm still young, rich and eligible. I will not face a shortage of prospective brides anytime soon. And I would much prefer a wife who could truly live by duty, whom I believe I would be able to find so long as I try hard enough. I'm sure there are like-minded people around whom I will eventually meet someday. Marisa, you are, truly, a talented and special woman, and King Joshua is someone who will be able to treasure you and give you that special happiness. Don't harp on me. I quite enjoy my bachelorhood, and I would still treasure it for a long time to come, now that you are getting married to another. Now go, before it's too late."

I did not need to be told twice. Gathering the train of my dress, I sprinted down the aisle after Joshua.

"King Joshua!" I heard Kai call out. "Behind you!"

As he turned around, I tripped on my gown and fell forward, right into his arms. Staggering backwards at the sudden weight that had been flung on him without any warning, he enveloped me tightly in a crushing hug.

Flinging my arms around his neck, I held on to him like a drowning person holding on to a branch, never wanting to let go. After five years, it felt so right to be back with him, in his arms, holding each other tightly as though there is no tomorrow.

Happiness, euphoria, overflowing joy…there was no word, none at all, to represent the feeling that I was currently experiencing as I tightened my arms around him, breathing in the familiar scent of him.

"So you've…" He whispered softly into my ear.

I nodded. "I...love you...Joshua." After so long of suppression, uttering those words were a relief.

I could hear his sigh of contentment, feel his firm body pressed into mine, feel his strong arms tightening around me, feel myself melting into his warm embrace

Vaguely, I could hear the orchestra playing a soft lyrical piece. We were surrounded by applause from all corners of the church, with everyone standing at their seats. Every pair of hands was clapping as many bestowed understanding smiles upon us, whereas some stood bewildered at the sudden turn of events.

And this continued on and on, till at least we pulled apart. Turning to Kai, who was still clapping with the bemused and awkward smile etched on his face, I gave him a slight smile.

It must feel really bizarre to see a woman, who had been your prospective wife half a minute ago, flinging herself at another man.

It must have been quite embarrassing too, to stand at the altar, ready to be married, only to have your bride desert you for a gatecrasher.

Gratified and slightly mollified at what I had just done, I mouthed "thank you" silently.

Moulder, who was standing behind Kai, thought that I was thanking him for his priestly services, turned red in the face, squealed and toppled behind the altar.

Finally, when everyone had sat down once again and the church was silent. Joshua cleared his throat. "Marisa…I'm not a very chivalrous person and neither am I a knight, general, cavalier or paladin, I am a…dutiful citizen of Jehanna?"

Those who could see him laughed at the dubious look on his face. I heard someone say, quite loudly in fact, "Yeah right", which sent many people, especially those who had known him, laughing.

"-so I do not propose in the knightly way by going down on one leg. But I am sincere, dedicated, loving, rich, young and handsome-"

More people started laughing.

"-and I love you, more than anything else in this world. Marisa, will you, with this engraved energy ring-"

Everyone was laughing now. I could hear Gerik's "Ho, ho, ho" drowning everyone else's laughter.

"-consent to marry me and make me the happiest of all men?"

I nodded shyly. What was there left to reconsider when you have spent the last five years doing so?

A thunderous roar nearly lifted the roofs as everyone stood up once again in a standing ovation. Under the scrutiny of thousands of pairs of eyes, Joshua slipped the energy ring onto my ring finger and smirked. "Now, you're officially mine."

"Not yet," I reminded him gently, my lips curling upwards into a small smile as he grimaced at the mere thought of organizing the reception, clothing, venue, date, invitations…

"Say…don't some people owe us a kiss?" Gerik said, leaning against the door of the church, blocking the exit with his huge frame "If you don't kiss you don't get out." He shrugged as a devious smirk crept across his face.

Joshua raised a tentative eyebrow.

I glared at him.

I could have sworn I would have killed him. Chief or not, that was a thing of the past and he was going to regret that he had ever been born after I had finished sharpening my shamshir on him.

Urged by Gerik's demands, the crowd started chanting, demanding a kiss. I blushed. To think that all of them here were the distinguished nobility from all over Magvel, and they were all yelling at the top of their voices to see someone kiss?

"I don't like this…" I gripped his hand tightly as I tried to hide the blush on my face.

Grinning, Joshua leant in. "Close your eyes." He whispered gently.

I closed my eyes as I felt his lips brush lightly, almost tenderly, against mine and pull away a second later.

The crowd, not bothering whether it was a long or a short kiss, cheered uproariously once again.

"You'll see a longer, better one at my wedding, I assure you," Joshua promised, creating a wave of catcalls and wolf whistles.

"Do remember to invite me, King Joshua," Kai teased, laughing. "Otherwise I may just have to crash your wedding to point my sword at you."

Joshua tipped his fedora at Kai. "I'll send you the invitation personally, you can count on that, as a small gesture of my thanks, right Marisa?" He smirked at me.

I bit back a smile. He could never cease to amuse me.

"I love you, Marisa." he wrapped one hand around my waist. "I think I am really lucky to be able to spend the rest of my life with you. I swear by Lady Luck that I will treasure you for as long as I live and make you feel so happy as my Queen that you'll never regret your decision, not even for one second of your life."

"I believe you." I placed my hand in his. "Thank you for coming to find me today."

"Anything for you, Marisa." He grasped my hand tightly. "Speaking of which, did that Lord Kai guy say he want a uptight, duty-oriented wife?"

I nodded apprehensively. From experience, the smirk that he was currently wearing on his face signaled the beginning of one of his ideas. From experience again, the ideas usually resulted in someone trying to murder him at the end of it.

"What do you think if we introduce him to Natasha?"

**_Fin_**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Woohooo! After so long...ahhh...it's finally over and they'll both together again in a fairy tale ending! Yay!**

**Thank you all for faithfully supporting this story and following it to the end. I sincerely hope that all of you have enjoyed the plot story and all that has come with it! **

**Special thanks goes out to those who have reviewed and given me all the encouragement to finish this piece! Thank you all so much! Please continue to review this chapter :D**

**On a side note, I was considering doing a sequel of Marisa and Joshua's wedding, which would be mainly humour and romance. After all, after all that they have been through, and given their very interesting personalities, I feel that their wedding would be epic, and thus worth a shot. Haha, but do give me suggestions on whether I should do it, as well as how to improve on my stories for my future fanfictions.**

**And now...we'll raise our cups and drink to a lovely life ahead for our newly engaged couple Joshua and Marisa...**

**Cheerios ~**

**Signed,**

**snowylavendermist**


	9. The Wedding

**Wedding Bells**

"What. Are. You. Doing."

He grinned, gripping her hand tighter.

If she was not mistaken, she currently wore her murderous glare that promised the recipient an excruciatingly painful death if they did not comply with her demands. Her glare was a warning for him to start finding the nearest emergency exit, and the last thing that he was supposed to do was raise an eyebrow and grin at her.

"Relax." He put his other hand around her waist and pulled her closer to him, until she nearly leaning on him. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear. "I promise you, this is going to a lot of fun."

His hot breath on her ear was turning her face a ripe shade of red, not unlike his hair. She saw that half of the audience had noticed the transformation of her face into a cousin of the tomato fruit, and gave a dry smile.

"The thing that promises the most fun on my mind now is waiting for this _thing_ to end so that I can shred you with my shamshir."

He cooed softly, insistently holding her in his embrace. "Ooh…someone is feisty today…" He smirked, he leaned closer beside her ear, so that his words sent a surprisingly pleasant shiver down her spine. "Did I tell you how much I like it when you're annoyed, furious and all?"

She frowned in annoyance. Did he not know how much she detested how he continually hit on her in the middle of a huge crowd? Somehow, his face doesn't change colour when he makes scandalous advances. Unfortunately, as proven half a minute before, her face turns a deep shade of red.

He smacked her waist gently with his hand. "Now, stop complaining and dance." He paused for effect. "Oh, and remember, sway a little."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes in agony, only because Tana was giving her a kind smile and a double 'thumbs-up'.

_Why_ had she not taken her father's suggestion and ran away for her marriage ceremony? Now she was stuck here waltzing for the next three hours.

* * *

Simply for the sake of being unique, Joshua had insisted for the wedding to be carried out at night.

Gerik disagreed. "Joshua just has a low tolerance level, he needs things to be done faster otherwise he would probably…umm never mind…"

She never managed to figure out what 'never mind' was, because whenever she tried to bring it up, Gerik guffawed with laughter, Colm raised his eyebrows in knowing amusement, Tana had a blanker look than her and Tethys lifted her scarf to her mouth to stem the coughing fit that was sure to follow.

She tried to ask Joshua. After listening, he walked out of the room and returned half an hour later. She never knew what truly happened, but she did see with her own eyes a very bruised and battered Gerik the day after.

"Marisa." Her father had strode in while Tana was putting the weird powdery things on her cheeks.

"Father." She bowed her head, only to get some the red powder on her eyes, which caused a uproar amongst L'Arachel, Tana and Tethys.

He ran a critical eye over her dressing, before nodding solemnly, tapping his silver-tipped cane on the carpet. "Not bad. Not very practical. At least that fool cares about you enough to dress you well."

He had started calling Joshua 'that fool' ever since Joshua won him in a duel using his killing edge against his shamshir.

She wondered when her father would stop being sore and actually call Joshua by his name or 'son-in-law'.

"Done!" L'Arachel declared in a flourish of the make-up brush, spraying pink glitter everywhere.

Hesitantly, she looked into the mirror Tana placed on her lap.

_I look…dazzling…_

Two heavy silver combs held her hair in place, with several loose curling strands framing her face. Tana had excelled herself with the makeup. Her complexion actually, for once in her life, looked completely flawless, and there was a natural rosy tinge on her cheeks. Her lashes were longer than what she had remembered them to be, and they curled upwards prettily.

"You…look like your mother…" Her father sighed.

She looked up in surprise. Her father made it a point never to mention her mother in front of her after she died during childbirth giving birth to her little brother.

"Come on!" Tethys helped her up gently. "It's time, and we certainly don't want to keep your eager husband-to-be waiting!"

Before she could silence Tethys with a glare, all of them had already burst out into laughter.

* * *

She heard the shuffling of feet as everyone stood up to welcome her grandiose entrance.

Peering through the veil, she saw Joshua staring fixedly at her. A blush rose onto her cheeks.

Moulder was the bishop in charge of their wedding again. This time, he was tiptoeing precariously on nearly a dozen lightning tomes. A thin sheet of parchment lay before him.

She knew Joshua had gone to find Moulder and apparently, according to Gerik, burnt all of Moulder's speech for this wedding into ashes.

Moulder looked positively distressed as he glanced at Joshua once she reached the altar. Joshua narrowed his eyes and nodded.

Moulder mopped his forehead with his sleeve and blessed their marriage in five seconds, then asked them each to say 'I do', which took another five seconds, and finally asked them to exchange their rings, which took ten seconds.

They were swiftly pronounced husband and wife in a total of less than a minute.

Without waiting for Moulder's cue, Joshua flung her veil from her face, grabbed her and kissed her firmly on the lips.

Once the initial shock wore off, her cheeks started burning.

The church was full of 'ooh's and 'aah's and catcalls, and wolf-whistles, and tremendous amounts of cheering headed by Gerik.

Heck, that man could be enlisted as the head of the cheering squad.

In her sweet but embarrassed euphoria, she clearly heard Lord Innes commanding loudly, "Wilson, don't look."

She could hear the crowd timing the length of the kiss, their voices increasing in volume and excitement as the kiss dragged on.

She could hear Moulder faint.

Nobody noticed.

When they finally pulled apart, both of them were red in the face and very much breathless.

The crowd roared and cheered, demanding an encore.

_An encore? For heaven's sake!_

Ignoring the chaos he had caused, Joshua took her hands in his and held them tightly. "Marisa…" He tipped her head so that she was directly staring into his eyes. "I love you…"

* * *

She was nervous. _Very _nervous.

Or rather, she was scared. Terrified, in fact.

She waited anxiously, jumping at every noise outside the door. He would return once he settled the lodgings of Lord Ephraim and Tana, who wanted a larger room to accommodate the twins that they had brought along.

Was she dreading the inevitable? Or was it anticipation?

First times were never easy.

Standing on the balcony, she breathed in the crisp night air, feeling the cold wind caressing the soft skin of her arms and legs.

"Cold?" A pair of warm arms engulfed her in a tender embrace.

She jumped, surprised by his silent entry. "Oh…not really…" Sighing, she shifted in his embrace and relaxed against his chest.

She could hear the rapid pounding of her heart. If she could hear it, he definitely could too.

"Marisa…the moon's beautiful today…"

She peered up at him in surprise. Was he not going to launch into one of his eloquent speeches that was surely going to make her blush till next morning?

She was even more surprised to see him actually looking intently at the moon in the sky.

Curiously, she shifted so that her head leaned against his chest and she could get a clear view of the moon. It was a giant round orb in the sky, like a milky pearl, shining softly without flaws in its complete radiant glory.

"I guess…"

He was silent, and it was beginning to scare her.

"Joshua…Are you alright…" She turned around so that she stood facing him.

He smiled, a little sadly, as though he was reminiscing a sorrowful memory. "Marisa…promise me…next time…tell me whatever you are feeling and thinking…so that I know what you want…" He grasped her hands and rubbed them gently. "I don't want there to be any secrets between us…I…I don't know what I'll do if you ever disappear again…"

Closing her eyes as she rested her head against his chest, she nodded. She was secure, safe, warm and serene in his embrace. There was nothing more that she could ever have wanted. She would be more than happy to tell him all her secrets and listen to all of his.

Vaguely, she could hear him whispering gently as he stroked her hair. "We could sit like this every night if you like…telling each other of our secrets…baring our hearts to each other…in one embrace…"

She smiled as she drifted lightly towards sleep.

There was nothing more she could have ever wanted.

* * *

**Fin. **


End file.
